Hospital dogged by animal group

An animal-rights group charged yesterday that a Boston hospital got a slap on
the wrist from fed enforcers even though two animals used for scientific
research died in their care - not from testing, but from chronic neglect.

Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, citing federal reports, said Brigham & Women’s
Hospital wasn’t punished after a dog died of an anesthesia overdose and a sheep
died of a severe infection.

“This facility should have been fined,” said Michael Budkie, executive
director of SAEN, which opposes testing.

But federal officials said the hospital adequately addressed concerns raised
by inspectors after the incidents. No further enforcement action was needed,
they said. Brigham spokesman Kevin Myron said in a statement that the hospital
“is committed to the highest quality and safety standards in all of our
research.”

According to a February U.S. Department of Agriculture report, the death of
the sheep, which was anorexic, was blamed on a “lack of familiarity” with
record-keeping procedures and procedures for telling veterinarians about sick
animals.

Poor record-keeping also led to the dog’s death, the report said.

David Sachs, a USDA spokesman, defended the agency’s handling of the cases,
saying the animals’ deaths did not rise to the level of “gross neglect or
inhumane treatment and suffering” that would trigger fines or confiscation of
animals.

“We don’t like seeing (animals die),” Sachs said. “But they were a good
citizen and it didn’t get to the point of enforcement action.”

SAEN, a Milford, Ohio-based animal-rights group, uses government inspection
reports of animal testing facilities as part of a campaign to end animal testing
by pharmaceutical and research labs.

The group has previously raised questions about the treatment of lab animals
at some 19 U.S. facilities in which it claims 66 animals have died.